Bye bye Deborah Jeane
By Capt. Fogg
Many people believe the Comedian Lenny Bruce who died in 1960 of a drug overdose, was hounded to death for telling dirty jokes and creating biting social satire. His history of arrests for indecency is voluminous. Of course his humor is far less "dirty" than one hears on TV today and nobody was ever harmed by hearing "dirty words."
Some would like to believe that the rampant prudery of the 1950's, a time when one couldn't say "pregnant" or "hell" on TV and married couples like Ozzie and Harriet Nelson had to be shown sleeping in separate beds, is no longer with us in our era of rampant vulgarity, but of course the Values Vermin are as durable as cockroaches and still have plenty to say about wardrobe malfunctions, academic discussions of sexuality and about who may do what and with whom.
The arguments against prostitution are far too many to list or to argue against here. Suffice it to say that in America one can ask for a diamond ring, a steak dinner or a night at the opera in return for amorous favors, but not 20 bucks, not 4000 bucks, not a dollar. I won't even try to explain. I won't try to explain why someone like Deborah Jeane Palfrey could be sentenced to 55 years in jail for putting couples together to pursue their own further interests, sexual or otherwise, while Neil Clark Warren is above reproach for doing the very same thing. The answer would lead us directly into the foetid swamp of Christian morality where the light of reason, decency and respect for humanity never shines.
Palfrey has been, since April 15th, awaiting sentence for various crimes stemming from the illegality of putting together consenting adults who might be expected to have a mutual interest in exchanging money for sex. The maximum sentence of 55 years is, for someone of 52 years, a life sentence and the life expectancy of a convict is less than that of a free person. Need I mention the quality of life in prison? It's no surprise that she seems to have killed herself; another sacrifice to the ravenous God we created; another victim of Christian love of punishment and contempt for freedom.
Meanwhile people who rob and defraud others of billions, serve far lighter sentences. People caught frequenting prostitutes face disgrace - sometimes. Sometimes they lose their jobs; sometimes their job of preaching morality is only enhanced. People who murder innocent people in their beds get to make a fortune, get to write and enforce laws that make us the largest jail keepers in the world, get to be President.
Cross posted from Human Voices
Many people believe the Comedian Lenny Bruce who died in 1960 of a drug overdose, was hounded to death for telling dirty jokes and creating biting social satire. His history of arrests for indecency is voluminous. Of course his humor is far less "dirty" than one hears on TV today and nobody was ever harmed by hearing "dirty words."
Some would like to believe that the rampant prudery of the 1950's, a time when one couldn't say "pregnant" or "hell" on TV and married couples like Ozzie and Harriet Nelson had to be shown sleeping in separate beds, is no longer with us in our era of rampant vulgarity, but of course the Values Vermin are as durable as cockroaches and still have plenty to say about wardrobe malfunctions, academic discussions of sexuality and about who may do what and with whom.
The arguments against prostitution are far too many to list or to argue against here. Suffice it to say that in America one can ask for a diamond ring, a steak dinner or a night at the opera in return for amorous favors, but not 20 bucks, not 4000 bucks, not a dollar. I won't even try to explain. I won't try to explain why someone like Deborah Jeane Palfrey could be sentenced to 55 years in jail for putting couples together to pursue their own further interests, sexual or otherwise, while Neil Clark Warren is above reproach for doing the very same thing. The answer would lead us directly into the foetid swamp of Christian morality where the light of reason, decency and respect for humanity never shines.
Palfrey has been, since April 15th, awaiting sentence for various crimes stemming from the illegality of putting together consenting adults who might be expected to have a mutual interest in exchanging money for sex. The maximum sentence of 55 years is, for someone of 52 years, a life sentence and the life expectancy of a convict is less than that of a free person. Need I mention the quality of life in prison? It's no surprise that she seems to have killed herself; another sacrifice to the ravenous God we created; another victim of Christian love of punishment and contempt for freedom.
Meanwhile people who rob and defraud others of billions, serve far lighter sentences. People caught frequenting prostitutes face disgrace - sometimes. Sometimes they lose their jobs; sometimes their job of preaching morality is only enhanced. People who murder innocent people in their beds get to make a fortune, get to write and enforce laws that make us the largest jail keepers in the world, get to be President.
Cross posted from Human Voices
posted by Libby Spencer at 3:47 PM
10 Comments:
Suicide? Hmmm, she was supposedly dealing with some heavy DC hitters...you never know.
I'm sure many people had a motive. I'm sure there is a great sigh of relief amongst the high and the mighty.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.
You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatreds.
You cannot establish security on borrowed money.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man's initiative and independence.
You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.
I have no idea what Dick's comment means but your post is well put Fogg. Just one more victim of what COYOTE calls our "old tired ethics".
The US government is full of prostitutes much more active and perverse than this lady. Congressmen pull down their pants and grease themselves up for lobbyists daily as they will do or say ANYTHING for the promise of support or contributions.
But introduce the idea of "sex"...the context doesn't even matter...and suddenly it is dirty filthy disgusting business and the perp must be damned. Of course, many of those doing the damning spend time on their knees or wagging their weenies where they shouldn't.
Prostitution is legal and regulated in Singapore. It poses no problem at all.
Can you imagine she was facing 55 years in prison for brokering sex? Doesn't the government have anything better to do, like chase down terrorists or something?
Rest in peace. I suppose she could have really done it herself but how convenient for all those on the list, which was never revealed as we were promised by whichever teevee station had it. Remember that 60 minutes of one of those shows was supposed to do a big revelation story?
My tin foil hat is beeping...
You have to wonder about anyone who pretends to channel Nixon, but I think he's only trying to make me look like one of his straw men.
Yes, countries have been able to control prostitution and make it safe for all concerned, but it amuses me how we continue to hoot and bellow about "freedom" while telling women what they can and can't do with their bodies and enforcing it in such draconian fashion.
Of course we know it's all about protecting the secrets of the powerful elite.
You can't judge an apple by looking at a tree,
You can't judge honey by looking at the bee,
You can't judge a daughter by looking at the mother,
You can't judge a book by looking at the cover.
Oh can't you see,
Oh you misjudge me,
I look like a farmer,
But I'm a lover,
You can't judge a book by looking at the cover.
Lenny Bruce died in 1966, not 1960. A minor nitpick, but, well, there you are.
I wonder whether the Palfrey case was indeed a suicide. There's a tiny paranoid corner in my mind that thinks she had The Goods on a lot of powerful people...people who would benefit if she were quieted permanently. Or am I being silly?
You're right - my vision is not what it used to be and typos squeak through.
Not I don't think it's silly to speculate, but I don't know the circumstances of her death well enough to be sure it's a possibility.
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